Top Engineering Colleges for Structural Engineering Degrees

Narrowing Down the Selection

For prospective structural engineering students, choosing an institution of higher learning can be a complex task. Many factors come into play, such as the reputation of the college, specialties offered, cost and availability of financial aid, location, career placement, and potential alumni support are just some of those factors. And while there are more than a few top engineering colleges with structural engineering degree programs worth mentioning, the following selection appears to figure fairly prominently in many ratings systems and discussion forums:

Pennsylvania State University

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA.

Diverse B.S., M.Eng., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees with emphasis in several technical disciplines such as: Civil Systems; Construction; Environmental & Water Resources; Geotechnical and Materials Engineering; Structures; and Transportation. One of the most comprehensive engineering programs in the world.

Western Michigan University

1903 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA

Undergraduate degree program designed to prepare for work immediately in many civil engineering careers, including structural and geotechnical engineering. Also offers graduate course work leading to a M.S. degree in Civil Engineering including structural engineering specializations.

Making The Best Choice

There are no standard formulas to determine which institution suits an individual’s educational needs for pursuing an advanced civil engineering or structural engineering degree. While preferred lists and ranking systems can narrow down some choices, there is no substitute for asking questions, visiting websites, reviewing curriculum offerings, faculty, and staff. If an actual site visit cannot be arranged, the websites of many colleges offer virtual online tours of campus and housing facilities for critical review. Members of alumni associations are also typically available to answer email or telephone inquiries. When making a choice of this nature, it really pays to do the homework!

About The Author:

John Moehring is a practicing Engineering Technologist in civil, geological, biological, and electrical engineering fields. And one of these days he may actually get it right.